The luxurious Rose Lounge at the five-star Sofitel London St James in the capital's West End played host to an exclusive invitation-only afternoon tea event in April. Twenty attendees were given the chance to indulge in that most decadent of all British traditions surrounded by the hotel’s uniquely French-themed design – bringing together the best of both countries! Specifically, the lucky few got to sample the Rose Lounge’s new Chelsea Flower Show-themed afternoon tea while delighting in the accompaniment of the resident harp player – all this a week before the experience became available to the wider public in early May.

The afternoon started with an introduction to the hotel’s history and the wide range of Damman Frères teas that guests would get to sample. Attendees were soon after given a quiz sheet from Julie at Damman to test their tea knowledge and sense of smell. Congratulations to Shikka from 'Why Waste Annual Leave?’ for winning the quiz by guessing the most correct ingredients and earning herself a wonderful Damman set in the process.

As the afternoon tea ceremony commenced our guests were served a delicious spread of finger sandwiches, three different types of scones, Chelsea Flower Show-themed desserts and a stunning array of teas to choose from.

One of the highlights of the event was the presence of Emma Leverton, who was on hand to read the tea leaves of any willing attendees. After the first guest emerged from her session only to declare Emma’s readings “scarily accurate”, Emma was in high demand with guests queuing for their turn to learn what the future had in store for them.

Guests were also offered the opportunity to take a tour of the hotel, with many only too happy to check out the delights of the Balcon restaurant and the SoSpa facilities.

The afternoon was a huge success, with all the guests enjoying the experience as well as the opportunity to get to know one another and share experiences.

If you’d like to see what all the fuss is about for yourself, the Chelsea Flower Show Afternoon Tea at Sofitel London St James’ Rose Lounge is available to all throughout the month of May, served daily from 12pm – 6pm.